1: Latisse®

Latisse® works via an active ingredient called bimatoprost, which is thought to lengthen the active growth phase of the eyelashes, although it isn't clear how Latisse® exactly performs. Lumigan is the name of the bimatoprost ophthalmic solution that was originally used as an eyedrop treatment for glaucoma patients to lessen eye pressure.

Patients who used the solution for its medical uses also saw an improvement in their eyelashes, which led to the re-branding strategy for eyelashes. After the FDA approved the use of Latisse® in December 2008, to help thin and short eyelashes appear darker, longer, and fuller, Allergan brought Latisse® to the public as a lash enhancer.

How to Use Latisse® Latisse® can be applied to the clean lash line of the upper eyelashes after users put one drop of the solution onto a sterile applicator. Contact lenses and cosmetics should be removed before the application of Latisse®. Any skin care products such as moisturizers that are part of your evening ritual should be applied before using Latisse®.

The ointment should then be drawn across the upper lash line, from the corner closest to the bridge of the nose outward. Latisse® users should be careful not to drip the solution in other areas of the eye, face, chin, or even the lower lid, to prevent hair growth in undesirable areas. A new applicator should be used for each eye, and after using any tools once, they should be discarded.

Left on overnight, Latisse® works as the wearer sleeps, allowing the individual to wash the face and apply eye makeup, as usual, the next morning. Upon applying Latisse® the following evening, a sterile applicator should be used to prevent the spread of bacteria.

How Often to Apply Latisse® to the Eyelashes When first using the eyelash enhancer, Latisse® should be applied every evening for 12 to 16 weeks. After that point, users can switch to applying Latisse® three or four times per week to maintain their thicker and longer lashes going forward. Although certain consumers tout the off-label use of Latisse® to enhance their eyebrows, the FDA has not approved Latisse® for such use.

Ideal Candidates for Latisse® Latisse® is recommended for use by anyone with sparse and stubby eyelashes who wants fuller and longer lashes. The enhanced look of long eyelashes and eyelash growth should last for as long as the patient uses the product. Upon ceasing the use of Latisse®, the thicker lashes may eventually revert to their previous state. Anyone who already uses Lumigan® or other products containing a bimatoprost ophthalmic solution or products designed to affect elevated intraocular pressure should first speak with their doctor before using Latisse®.

Latisse® Side Effects Side effects like itching and redness are the most commonly reported by Latisse® users. Eye dryness, irritation, and skin darkening have been reported. Latisse® should be used only on the upper eyelid region at the base of the eyelashes to prevent unwanted hair growth in unintended areas. People with light-colored irises should be aware of the risk of Latisse® darkening their eye color. Eyelash Enhancement Method #2: Eyelash Implants or Eyelash Hair Transfer
Hair transplants are often used to move vibrant hair follicles from the back of the head to other parts of the head that are balding or thin. The same hair transplantation methods can be used to extract healthy hair buds from a donor site and transplant them into thin areas of the eyelashes in an eyelash hair transplant procedure.

2: Eyelash Hair Implants

Similar to standard hair transplant procedures, eyelash hair implants begin with the surgeon extracting hair follicles by using either the "strip surgery" method of harvesting known as follicular unit transportation (FUT) or the follicular unit extraction (FUE) method. Whereas the FUT method features incisions being made as a portion of the scalp and hair bulbs are extracted, the FUE method extracts follicles in smaller groups, without incisions.

What to Expect During Eyelash Hair Implants After extracting hair follicles from another area, the surgeon places the grafts in the upper eyelid region on an individual hair basis, threaded via a curved needle. Eyelash transplantation is an outpatient procedure that provides longer and thicker lashes that live and grow in the eyelids like normal lashes.

Choose an experienced surgeon familiar with eyelash transplant procedures, who knows how to control the direction of the implanted eyelash growth, curl pattern, and orientation. The eyelash transplantation procedure will take approximately one hour for each eyelid. Local anesthesia is used, with sedated patients remaining awake.

The “double-implantation” method lets patients receive denser and thicker lashes. Double implantation involves implanting two hair follicles to double the number of eyelashes implanted each session.

Ideal Candidates for Eyelash Transplants Patients who are generally healthy with functioning eyelids may make good candidates for an eyelash hair transplant. Those who suffer from the permanent loss of their eyelashes called "eyelash gap," due to injuries, cancer treatments, or eyelid surgery may find success with eyelash transplantation.

3: Eyelash Extensions

Eyelash extensions can increase the length and density of natural eyelashes by attaching hairs to them. These hairs are often made of synthetic or silk substances, or materials such as mink, sable, and horse hair.

What to Expect When Receiving Eyelash Extensions During your appointment, the technician should first cleanse your eyes of all cosmetics, oils, and dirt to help the eyelash extensions adhere to your eyelashes and to prevent infections. Your lower eyelashes are generally taped down so that as eyelash extensions are applied to the upper eyelashes, there is no interference. Next, the individual lash extensions are usually adhered to one at a time using a glue or adhesive to secure the individual lashes near the root of the natural lashes.

Ideal Candidates for Eyelash Extensions
Eyelash extensions might be a good choice for any healthy person who has enough of their natural lashes upon which extensions can be adhered, including people who don't suffer from severe alopecia and aren't allergic to the lash adhesive. Other good candidates include those who do not often rub their eyes or yank at their natural eyelashes, or the extensions, which could cause them to fall out.

4: Lash Lift

Lash lifts are performed when a "perm" solution lifts and sets the natural lashes into a curly pattern against a rod, similar to the way that curly perms add a curlier pattern to those who seek a semi-permanent curled appearance to their hair.

What to Expect During a Lash Lift Procedure The upper lids and eye area will be cleansed before the lash lift procedure. Then the lower eyelashes are protected using moist cotton pads beneath the lower waterline, before eyelash adhesive being applied to the eyelids. When the eyelash glue is exposed to the air for a while and the texture becomes tackier, a gel roller is affixed to the eyelashes when the technician gently sweeps them upward onto the rod.

The rollers are available in different sizes to create a variety of curl patterns. The customer can select the desired curl pattern, which will be set once the perm solution is painted onto the lashes. The cream formula activates the curl pattern and is removed once the lashes have been curled appropriately. A solution that neutralizes the curling formula is placed upon the eyelashes before they are removed from the rollers.

Ideal Candidates for Lash Lifts Any person who likes how thick and long their natural lashes appear but still desire a semi-permanent curled look for their lashes might be a good candidate for a lash lift since the process does not add length to the eyelashes. Those who are not receiving chemotherapy, along with people who aren't allergic to the lash lift solutions or any keratin treatment that might be used in the wake of the lash lift could be recommended for the treatment.

5: Lash Enhancement Tattoos

Lash enhancement tattoos involve tattooing the lash line with a European tool named Nouveau Contour.

The thin black line of ink along the lower or upper lashes creates the look of permanent eyeliner, however, in a natural way upon the lash line, which enhances the eyelashes. The micropigmentation used for eyelash enhancement tattoos creates a fill-in for gaps amid the eyelashes, making them appear darker and fuller.

Recovery from Eyelash Enhancements

Certain eyelash enhancements don't require much of a recovery period, such as recovery from Latisse®. The solution simply requires a nighttime application ritual that doesn't cause users to experience any downtime.

Eyelash transplant procedures can include longer recovery times, based upon the method used to extract hair from the donor area. If an eyelash transplant is performed by gaining hair via the "strip surgery" FUT method, patients will have sutures and an incision in the rear of their head that takes time to heal. A return trip to the doctor might be necessary after 10 days, to remove staples and non-dissolvable stitches. The FUE method of hair transplantation takes less recovery time, but patients are advised to treat their newly-transplant hair follicles with care for the first 7 days, to sleep with their heads elevated, and to avoid rubbing the eyes.

Many eyelash transplantation patients may experience a small amount of discomfort but feel comfortable enough to make shopping trips the same day of their procedures. After 3 to 5 days, eyelash transplant patients may return to work and other normal activities, since any pinkness and swelling should have faded away from the eyes. The new hairs will fall away after 14 days, but the hair follicles will remain, causing the new eyelashes to keep growing for the rest of the person's lifetime. The transplanted eyelashes will continue to grow to long lengths that require trimming and curling as the wearer desires.

Recovery from eyelash extensions is minimal. Patients are advised to arrive at their appointments not wearing eye makeup and contact lenses, with expectations to spend one or two hours or more receiving the extensions. Most normal activities can be resumed immediately, with the specific hair growth cycle dictating if the enhanced eyelashes will last from 3 to 5 weeks or more. Patients may experience redness, itching, or dermatitis, and are advised to refrain from washing their eye area right away or using oil-based eye products.

The recovery period of a lash lift may include red or itchy eyes. During the first 24 hours, steam rooms, saunas, and tanning beds should be avoided. Individuals should sleep on their backs the first night. Patients are advised not to get their lashes wet during the 48-hour segment of time after their lash lift. After 48 hours, lash lift patients can use a gentle cleanser to stroke the eyelashes in an upward direction.

After getting lash extensions, a spoolie eyelash brush can be used for daily maintenance, but patients should avoid using waterproof mascara, eyelash curlers, oil-based eye-makeup, along with eye-makeup remover. Only professionals should remove the extensions to save your natural lashes.